Yinyu Chaye Farm

Yinyu Chaye is the source of our annual pre-qingming anji baicha. A small farm at 800 meters elevation just outside the pedigreed grow zones of Anji county, Yinyu Chaye is situated far from the roadways and factories in the area. Here, 1st generation producer Jianjun Chen makes anji baicha that rivals significantly more expensive teas from the area.

Anji baicha—"Anji white tea"—is a misnomer, named for the cultivar used in this tea's production, bai ye ("white leaf"). Like other classic eastern Chinese white tea cultivars, bai ye grows with abundant silvery down; still, in all but name, anji baicha is a green tea. Valued for its delicacy and sweetness, the trademark of good anji baicha is a yellow-tan leaf, indicating an early spring harvest without excessive sun exposure (later harvests are darker green from increased chlorophyll synthesis due to excessive sunlight). Chen produces several flushes of anji baicha, reserving a few kilos of his best for us each spring.

Without the built-in domestic demand for his teas that heritage Anji farmers enjoy, Chen relies on his expert hand and clean lands to produce elegant anji baicha rich with nuance. For our money, his teas outdo his neighbors'.